Sheila Conlon Ridgway

Against my will, I got pulled into an 18 month super complex legal drama related to undue influence related to wills that involved multiple lawyers, substantiated adult protection, attorney malpractice, fraud, theft, multiple failed mediations, and a court battle. This case was like a made for tv mov...ie, with a crazy conman who convinced my elderly relative that his family hated him and typed out new wills to be signed days before his death. While adult protection easily found this to be financial exploitation, we still had to fight it out in the courts. What a messed up system. I wouldn't have survived if I didn't luck out in getting the best attorney in the Seattle area on my side. Sheila was incredible clear, transparent, and supportive throughout. She is easy to talk to and has a great sense of humor, and the levity was very helpful in this very stressful time. Most importantly, she ALWAYS was looking out for me - not only for my interests in the case, but also to make sure I wasn't being over-charged (she refrained from attending some of the depositions, etc., to limit my fees). She is just so smart and experienced, and was such a great strategist in this whole ordeal. I loved talking to her to learn about the intricacies of the law related to my case, and she knew all the players in the case or could easily suss them out (other attorneys, judges, expert witnesses, etc.). As she knew that I knew the situational details better than her, she also deferred to me when appropriate, so between the two of us we came up with a MUCH better outcome that would have been closer to the wishes of my family member than what most of the other attorneys had thought was possible and had been pushing for. I wouldn't wish a will contest on anyone, but if you get stuck in the middle of one, Sheila Ridgway and her firm are simply the best. Thanks Sheila, Kristen, Hanan, Ken, Morris and the rest of the team!

I was referred to Sheila to handle a complex Family Trust matter. She got my sister and me in for a consult on the same day we called her office, which was a real plus. Through months of back and forth with another family member's attorney, I realized that we were lucky to have Sheila's and her team...'s excellent representation. The matter was concluded to our satisfaction. Thank you Sheila, Ken, Michael, Hanan and everyone else who made this work.

I was referred to Sheila by my first probate attorney because he thought I would need Sheila's litigation experience. Rather than an excruciating and expensive litigation experience, Sheila's professional acumen ruled the day, gently reining in two inexperienced and error-prone attorneys working for... a hostile and aggressive beneficiary who challenged my administration of the estate. As others have noted, Sheila is able to acknowledge the emotional toll of such a challenge while gently and repeatedly bringing the client (me, in this case) back to the practical matters at hand. Aside from her own experitise, her staff is wall-to-wall wonderful, talented, and patient. Sheila also gave me excellent referrals to another terrific attorney to deal with real estate and a child's trust, and also a CPA who worked miracles. All-in-all, first class; hire Sheila.

It’s sad when a loved one dies how greedy and ruthless relatives can become when there is money involved. Wills, trusts and estates are complex matters and if you determine you need to hire an attorney, you really need to find the best attorney you can to represent your interests. Should you need to ...look at contesting a will, you need to hire an attorney who has probate litigation expertise and experience. Sheila Ridgway was referred to me by another trust and estate planning attorney, Eric Fahlman, who did not have probate litigation expertise. I met and hired Sheila in May 2009 and my matter was resolved in December 2009. I highly recommend hiring Sheila if you need assistance in any will, trust, estate or probate matter that might require litigation. Sheila is sharp, responsive, communicates legal jargon in simple terms so you can understand, is compassionate, really cares about you and doing the right thing, is fair about her billing, and gets results. Sheila is recognized as one of Washington’s leading probate litigation attorneys. She has excellent credentials. She has served as the Chair of the Probate Litigation and Ethics seminar sponsored by the King County Bar Association since 1998. She has spoken at many legal seminars on behalf of the Washington State and King County Bar Associations on estate and trust litigation and probate. Sheila is highly regarded among her peers: Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rated "Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers” and has been recognized in Seattle Met Magazine, 2010 Top Lawyer. Most people do not enjoy dealing with legal matters or attorneys, but I can honestly say it was a positive experience working with Sheila. She’s good and I highly recommend hiring her for any will, trust, estate, or probate matter. With sincere recommendation, Michele P. Bothell, WA

As executor for my late partner's estate, I was overwhelmed. The task was complex because of the extraordinary nature of the estate. A friend recommended I speak to Sheila. She immediately recognized the uniqueness of the situation and became my sensitive and trusted guide throughout probate. I found... her to be professional, accessible, diligent, and completely reliable.